An aviation training and simulation apparatus is generally used to train aviators to operate an airplane in a simulation environment. Conventionally, there are two types of aviation training and simulation apparatus. One of them is to digitally process profiles and functions of a real control panel and displays a virtual control panel on the screen of a computer. An aviator being trained operates the control panel on the screen by means of a mouse or a touch-controlled screen to simulate the operations of an airplane. In such a case, the aviator only becomes familiar with operation procedures of the virtual control panel, but is far away from the real aviation environment.
Therefore, to let the aviator feel as if he were there, the other conventional training and simulation apparatus is designed to provide the aviator with a realistic environment by providing a control panel identical with the one in the pilot cabin of an airplane so that the aviator can touch and operate the real panel. As shown in FIG. 1, a control panel 2 typically comprises a display 21 and a keyboard device 22 to input signals. An output of the control panel is input to a training and simulation apparatus including a personal computer. The monitor screen of the personal computer is synchronous with the display of the training and simulation apparatus to monitor the control operations of the aviator.
The above-described training and simulation apparatus must include an interface card 6 to connect control panel 2 to data/control bus of the computer. Since output signals of the control panel are input to computer through the bus, the interface card must be designed according to the control signals of the bus, resulting in complex design of interface card 6 and an increase in the computer hardware cost.